Journal titles can be abbreviated to save word count. Abbreviations can be found using the Cardiff Index to Legal Abbreviations - opens in new window.
Journal articles whether print or accessed online are cited as a print journal. If the article is only available online, use the same format as for print journals but at the end of the citation add the web address within < > marks and the date you most recently accessed the article. This does not include a result from a database.
The format of an article are cited in the following order:
Footnote format
Author(s), ‘Title’ [Year]. Journal name or abbreviation First page. Cite authors’ names exactly as they appear in the publication:
Footmark example
Paul Craig, ‘Theory, “Pure Theory” and Values in Public Law’ [2005] PL 440.
If the journal has a volume number, then change to (Year) Volume Journal name or abbreviation First page.
Footmark example
Alison L Young, ‘In Defence of Due Deference’ (2009) 72 MLR 554.
OR
Paul Craig, 'Theory, "Pure Theory" and Values in Public Law' [2005] PL 440.
Pinpointing in a journal article
When pinpointing (referring to a specific page in an article) put the first page of the article followed by a comma, a space and the page of the pinpoint.
JAG Griffith, 'The Common Law and the Political Constitution' (2001) 117 LQR 42, 64.
Bibliography
The bibliography is the same format as the footnote except that the author is now listed surname first followed by their initials, page numbers are not included and there is no full stop at the end of the reference.
Craig, P, 'Theory, "Pure Theory" and Values in Public Law' [2005] PL 440
Griffith, JAG, 'The Common Law and the Political Constitution' (2001) 117 LQR 42
Young, AL, ‘In Defence of Due Deference’ (2009) 72 MLR 554
Square and round brackets
Use of square or round brackets depends on whether the date is essential to find the article. If the date is essential because there are multiple volumes each year, square brackets are used. If the date is not essential because there is a unique volume number, put the year of judgment (not the year of publication) in round brackets:
Square brackets
Use [ ] if the date of publication is needed to find the article eg. there is no volume number.
Round brackets
Use ( ) if the date of publication is NOT needed to find the article eg. there is a volume number.
You do not need to indicate that you have looked at an article online if it is from a library database, just refer to it as a printed journal using the correct citation. However, if you have accessed an online journal on the internet with a website address, you must include the following:
<web address> accessed date.
Example:
Online journals may lack some reference details such as page numbers:
Stanislaw Piasecki, Jiahong Chen and Derek McAuley ‘Putting the Right P in PIMS: Normative Challenges for Protecting Vulnerable People’s Data through Personal Information Management Systems’ (2022) 13(3) EJLT <https://ejlt.org/index.php/ejlt/article/view/885/1063> accessed 27 July 2023.
Bibliography
Stanislaw, P, Jiahong, C and McAuleym D, ‘Putting the Right P in PIMS: Normative Challenges for Protecting Vulnerable People’s Data through Personal Information Management Systems’ (2022) 13(3) EJLT <https://ejlt.org/index.php/ejlt/article/view/885/1063> accessed 27 July 2023.